Rockwell Automation: GuardShield Safety Light Curtains
August 25, 2022
Production personnel can work safely and efficiently using the new Allen-Bradley 450L Perimeter Access Control (PAC) GuardShield safety light curtains from Rockwell Automation. Subject to risk assessment, light curtains eliminate the need for hard guarding and gates, while allowing frequent, easier and safe access to hazardous areas.
Designed for whole-body detection, PAC light curtains are typically positioned around an area or in front of a machine entry or exit that poses a moderate to high risk of operator injury. The light curtains help protect personnel and equipment by detecting the presence of people and objects within the guarded area.
Unlike traditional safety light curtains based on separate transmitter and receiver units, the 450L GuardShield safety light curtains feature patented technology that allows each transceiver to be used as a transmitter or receiver via a plug-in module. The single-stick architecture greatly reduces the requirements for spare stock and offers an easier and economical upgrade path should operational requirements change in the future. Other features that make the light curtains a versatile safeguarding solution for a wide range of applications include:
- – An integrated laser alignment system, plug-in DIP switches and integrated muting options help ease installation and configuration.
- – Cascading plug-ins allow for serial connection of safety light curtains.
- – Single-beam to four-beam options and protective lengths from 150 mm to 1050 mm cover a wide range of protection heights.
- – Versatile mounting options simplify installation while a compact design minimizes the impact on a machine’s footprint.
The 450L safety light curtains are TÜV certified PLe, Type 4 IEC 61496-1/-2, SIL CL3 per the ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061 standards.
